Chicago, IL – In a decision with broad national implications, the Bush Administration has given a green light to Peabody Energy’s plans to build a massive 1500 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Washington County, Illinois. This decision came in response to a petition filed two years ago by a coalition of public health and environmental organizations that urged the Administration to require cleaner alternatives. In its decision, the Bush Administration’s Environmental Appeals Board in Washington, DC, rejected the groups’ request to consider cleaner coal-burning options, including coal gasification, low-sulfur coal, and opportunities to reduce the size of the coal plant by investing in clean energy alternatives, such as wind and energy efficiency.

“If constructed, this power plant would be the largest new source of global warming the Bush Administration has ever approved, and is equivalent to adding over two million cars onto the Nation’s highways each year the plant operates,” said Verena Owen, of the Sierra Club. “The Bush Administration is actively making the problem of global warming worse and stifling the development of clean and efficient technologies.”

John Blair, president of Indiana’s Valley Watch, underscored the financial risk this project poses to the mainly small municipal utilities and cooperatives that Peabody has persuaded to invest in the project. “All industry analysts agree that the United States will join the rest of the world and regulate global warming pollutants. Because there are no cost-effective ways to cut global warming pollution from the type of outdated power plant Peabody is proposing, the only future option would be to close the power plant. This could spell financial disaster for unsuspecting city councils and municipal utility boards,” said Blair.

This controversial project still faces significant obstacles, including a likely appeal of this latest decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. “We are reviewing all of our options to ensure this out-dated and dangerous project is abandoned in favor of cleaner and safer energy options that don’t threaten our health,” said Bruce Nilles, Director of the Sierra Club’s Midwest Clean Energy Campaign.

“This ill-conceived project remains a long way from becoming a reality,” said Kathy Andria, of the American Bottom Conservancy. “Peabody still needs permission to build a massive transmission line and they are facing a buzz-saw of opposition from landowners who don’t want a large power line in their backyards.” Just this month dozens more property owners were notified that Peabody is seeking permission to build a massive transmission line close to or on their properties, bringing the total to more than one hundred potentially affected property owners. Before Peabody could sell its energy it must get approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission for its transmission lines.

This proposed coal plant would also set back the State of Illinois’ efforts to restore clean air in the Metro East St. Louis and the Metropolitan Chicago areas. Both of these areas are designated by US EPA as failing to meet federal public health standards for soot (fine particulate matter) and smog (ozone). According to its permit, the new power plant would add the following additional pollution:

“Last year, U.S. EPA declared that two thirds of all Illinois residents are living in areas that fail to meet minimal health standards for airborne fine particulate soot,” said Brian Urbaszewski of the American Lung Association of Chicago. “The failure of both the Bush and Blagojevich Administrations to require Peabody to use state-of-the-art pollution controls will mean thousands of tons of additional tiny soot particles will be pumped into the air we all breathe. Such particles lodge deep in our lungs where they trigger asthma attacks, increase emergency room visits for breathing ailments, and increase the number of premature deaths”

Statement of Verena Owen

Illinois Clean Air Campaign Chair

Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter

The massive new coal plant proposed by Peabody Energy, recently approved by the Bush Administration, and promoted by Governor Blagojevich, would be the largest new source of global warming pollution in Illinois, if not America, in decades. It will also emit sulfur dioxide at twice the rate of another proposed pulverized coal plant being built by the City of Springfield, Illinois.

Illinois can do better than subsidizing dirty coal technology, especially when so many promising clean energy alternatives exist to reduce air pollution, conserve energy, and provide clean power.

Instead of promoting pulverized coal technology, Illinois can create jobs, clean the air, and provide for our power needs best by focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially wind power.

These cleaner choices are important parts of the energy plan recently announced by Governor Blagojevich, and are the right ones for our future. We need to implement them now.

The threat of global warming is real, with serious implications for Illinois' economy, public health, and environment. If constructed, the Peabody plant would emit 12,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the main culprit in global climate change.

Illinois should look to California's recent example of a state adopting a meaningful plan to reduce statewide global warming pollution.

Illinois has shown that it can lead toward a smarter energy future.

Efforts to boost Illinois' wind industry, including powering our State Capitol with wind energy, cleaning up pollution from old coal plants, replacing gasoline with cellulosic ethanol, and investing in solar power are all examples of the right choices for Illinois and America.

We hope to work with State leaders to focus on these forward-thinking solutions instead of the outdated technologies of the last century.